Mystery
by Light Dreams
Summary: Can Shinichi solve this one in time, or lose Ran forever?


Disclaimer: Don't own anything. All the characters are belonged to Detective Conan by Aoyama Gosho.   
  
Chapter 1: Mystery  
  
Quiet.  
  
That's how Conan was describing the night. Well, actually morning. To be accurate, it was one a.m., and Shinichi Kudo: Master Detective, who is currently stuck in an age he did not like at all, was tossing and turning in his bed.   
  
There were times when he simply couldn't rest his sharp and agile mind when he was still in a seventeen year old's body, and he had just realised that it still happens to him, even though he's seven now. To sum it all up, Shinichi, or Conan, as he is called now, was having another sleepless night.   
  
Numerous thoughts ran through his head as he was solving another great mystery of century: his "Ran-neechan" seems to have forgotten all about Shinichi Kudo. True, it has been one year since Shinichi Kudo went "missing", but didn't he call Ran up often, to comfort her with his voice? Didn't he appear a few times as a result of some accidents? Didn't he send presents and cards to Ran to celebrate occasions such as her birthday and Valentine's Day? So what's wrong? That, was the question that Conan has been asking himself the whole night, and still could not answer.   
  
Just a week ago, Ran was still complaining that Shinichi had been gone for far too long. She was crying her eyes out, thinking that the reason that of him not appearing for so long was because he was avoiding her as he didn't like her anymore. Conan nearly fell over when he heard this reason for crying so bitterly after bugging her for one whole hour with his cute act.   
  
It was the first time he saw Ran break down so terribly after so long, and he was surprised it was not because she missed him, but was because she was beginning to doubt him. Conan had to admit, he was avoiding her, but of course he was not avoiding her that way!   
  
In the end, Conan spent another hour trying to assure her that "Shinichi-niichan" was not avoiding her nor he hating her as effectively as he could while trying not to drop his kiddie act.   
  
He did not succeed this time, of course; who listened to love advice from seven-year-old kids? She stayed in her room for the rest of that night, making absolutely no noise, while Kogoro and Conan paced outside Ran's door looking absolutely worried. Conan swore that the floor outside Ran's room was lower than then rest of the house after that night.  
  
Kogoro was constantly knocking Conan's head trying to get Conan to tell him the reason why his beloved daughter was acting like this. Conan only answered a whining "I promised not to tell!!" Kogoro would then continue to knuckle his head, while Conan would repeat the same thing over and over again.   
  
Throughout Kogoro's shouting session at him, Conan had hardly heard anything, for he was busy sorting out the thoughts that was rampaging his head. He felt extremely guilty, and tried to assure himself that he had done his best to make Ran feel happy during his absence. And yet, a tiny voice from the back from his head kept repeating, "i You didn't. You can jolly well tell Ran that you're Shinichi, and tell her that you do not hate and did not abandon her."  
  
I can't.  
  
Why? Is there anything more important that Ran's happiness?  
  
There is. Her safety.  
  
That's lousy. You knew from the start that she could take care of herself. You trust her, and the reason you're not telling her the truth is-  
  
SHUT UP!!  
  
You're a coward/i   
  
That had ended the conversation with himself immediately, and his mind went to the usual process of observing and thinking.  
  
iWhy the sudden breakdown?/i he suddenly thought.  
  
He didn't really have time to go in depth about the question as a sudden call from Ayumi interrupted him. He hastily answered it with a iI can never understand women. /i and went to answer the call.  
  
The very next day, as a very worried Conan waited outside Ran's door from 6.30a.m., doing nothing, but feeling guilty. Again. Ran came out of the room half an hour later, and surprisingly, was her usual cheerful self again. She looked as if she finally figured out something, and took all her problems off her shoulders. She looked… relieved.  
  
"Good morning, Conan!" she said, kneeling herself down to Conan's level. "What would you like for breakfast this morning? Today's Special! And you can get whatever you want~" Ran said smiling, leaning into his face. Conan backed off a little, uncomfortable with the distance Ran's face was away from his.   
  
"Erm… erm…" Conan was at a loss on what to say; he totally didn't expect this. He was starting to blush. After a few seconds of staring at Ran's exceptionally and curiously gentle face, he finally got his act together.  
  
"Yeah! Ran-neechan! Let's go for breakfast with Ayumi and the others! Oh please oh please oh please!" Conan was his kiddie self again.  
  
"Oh… all right. I said you could have anything you wanted anyway…"   
  
And it went on like this for Ran, being cheerful the whole day. And the next. And the next. No matter how Conan's friends were being unbearably irritating for seven year olds, Ran never did lose her temper.   
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.  
  
After finishing dinner with the Detective Boys one day, Conan and Ran went for a bit of shopping. Even though she was shopping alone, Conan as usual, was admiring how women can be dedicated to the art of shopping. As they passed by yet another jewellery shop, Ran stopped again, and starred into the showcase.   
  
iThis is the ninth time she's done this today. Nono,/i he instantly corrected himself. iThe tenth./i  
  
Conan rolled his eyes, but as he glanced at Ran, he saw the sparkle in her eyes as she gazed at the necklace in the showcase.   
  
iShe really likes it. Hmm… she would look very beautiful in it too…/i  
  
Conan turned a little red, and giving a small smile, he chirped, "Ran-neechan! You like it, don't you? So buy it!"  
  
iAnd because… you'll look beautiful in it.. /i  
  
"Naw, I don't think I'll buy it. It's just too expensive."  
  
"Expensive? Then get Shinichi-niichan to buy it! I'm sure he would!"  
  
iI will… just say the word… /i  
  
"Shinichi-niichan?" Ran looked puzzled for a second, and said, "Oh, that Kudo guy. Why him? I don't know him that well." She started to walk away, with big bags of shopping stuff in her hands.   
  
iHuh? You don't know me very well? What do you mean? That Kudo guy? And she looked…/i  
  
"What do you mean by not knowing him very well? You said that you were childhood friends with him!" He was starting to panic. Big time.  
  
"Well, I don't know him that well. Even though he's my childhood friend. Now lets go… still have to prepare dinner. Dad hasn't eaten." Ran answered stiffly and swiftly.  
  
iShe sounded… cold. She looked… hard. Dammit. I'm in trouble./i  
  
It was like that for the rest of the week.   
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.  
  
Now, as Shinichi lay on his soft bed with his arms crossed, he thought about recent events, and a sudden thought came to him.  
  
iThe amazing number of phone calls from the guys from school…  
  
Going out so often…  
  
Sonoko's chatter about guys and Ran's blushing after that…  
  
The extraordinary amount of flowers delivered to the agency…  
  
Could it be?   
/i  
Shinichi's heart stopped for a moment.   
i  
Has she… stopped waiting for me?   
/i  
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Author's notes: Hey everyone! My first attempt at a fic here; show some support? Comments, anyone? 


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